From left, Class of 2019 Hall of Fame inductees Jim Rutherford, Sergei Zubov, Guy Carbonneau, Hayley Wickenheiser, Vaclav Nedomansky and Jerry York model their Honoured Member blazers alongside Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 17, 2019.
"We're not sure whether this meeting will this take more or less time. Hopefully, it doesn't stretch out to be such a long exercise. We've tried it in different ways already, with trial runs. Anthony [Fusco, the Hall's manager of information services] will make sure it's completely confidential, so that part doesn't change. We look forward to it, we believe we're ready to go. Change is here and the sooner we adapt to it, the faster we can get on with our lives."
Since closing its doors, a reopening date not yet on the calendar, the Hockey Hall of Fame has used technology to hold a full board meeting and a few different committee meetings.
"We try never to have board meetings, especially with the entire board, at a distance like that but we had no choice," McDonald said. "You try to find a way to get through them."
The Class of 1992 inductee acknowledges that a virtual selection-committee meeting will be very different, not having everyone at the same table for what is always a spirited debate as members pitch candidates and make their case for those they believe are worthy of induction.
"It will be a different challenge, not having everyone in the same room," he said. "You obviously have a different flair and understanding when you're together to see the presentation that's being made. But these are different times.
"We certainly have not cancelled our November induction ceremonies but we've got lots of time to figure that one out. We'll get through this one first of all and go from there."
The induction weekend, one of the annual highlights of the hockey season, is scheduled Nov. 13-16 at the Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. The Nov. 16 enshrinement ceremony caps a weekend of events and meetings that include the presentation of Hall of Fame rings, a popular fan forum, presentation of Hall blazers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs' annual Hall of Fame game and a Legends Classic alumni game, both at Scotiabank Arena.